


I rewind the tape but all it does is pause

by fazcinatingreads



Category: Australian Rules Football RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:07:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28893384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fazcinatingreads/pseuds/fazcinatingreads
Summary: Second year in the AFL, Jay Rantall gets used to the new normal of preseason trainings.





	I rewind the tape but all it does is pause

Jay Rantall was slowly getting used to the cutouts that watched over their indoor training sessions. Sometimes he'd catch sight of Eddie McGuire in his peripheral vision and turn to wave but it was just a cutout. 

After a few hours of ball skills, Jay headed to the lunch room. He grabbed a plate and piled it high with all the delicious salads that the chef made every day.

Then he squeezed onto a couch between two cutouts. All the players were spread around the tables and couches with a cutout separating each player to promote social distancing. 

"Ugh, I don't want to sit next to ugly fan," Chris Mayne whined, knocking his hand into the cutout next to him angrily. It fell to the floor with a thud. 

Everyone just ignored Chris, his usual whingeing a constant drone in their ears, and Jay did the same, focusing on a delicious pomegranate and cauliflower salad on his plate. 

Jeremy Howe was sitting closest to Jay and he rabbited on about all the chores he had to do every day. Jay listened patiently, feeling empathetic because he still remembers how hard it was mowing Jeremy's lawn every day. 

When Jay's plate was empty, he eased himself out from the cutouts leering on either side and headed to the locker room. 

He walked inside and was just reaching for the door of the number 35 when he took in the mess of shoes and clothes around it. He paused, realising it wasn't his locker. 

Walking over to the number 1, he took in the boxes of weetbix and was reminded of good memories of his predecessor's happy smiling face. 

He forgot all about cutouts and coronavirus and having to socially distance from everyone he loved, and pulled out a box of Weetbix. 

Jay sat down and ripped into the box, eating a dry Weetbix piece. And another one. Then another. When he was full and feeling a bit lightheaded and sick, he delved deep into the locker for any kind of water. 

Reaching in to the darkness, Jay felt something soft and ran his fingers along the silky fabric. Then he felt something hard. 

His hand froze. 

He pulled and tugged the item from the locker, straining his weight against the sides. 

Pausing to wipe the sweat from his brow, he pulled again, feeling like the item was almost pushing against him, refusing to come out. Was it something sentient?

Eventually, despite what Chris Mayne told him in gym sessions, his muscles were strong enough to outlast the battle. 

Jay dragged out a massive piece of cardboard, almost as big as himself. He saw the silky fabric was some kind of underwear and he recoiled in horror, dropping the cardboard. 

As it thumped to the ground, Jay saw it was his worst nightmare. A cutout. In his locker. What was a cutout doing in his locker? 

He ran out of the room, screaming, all the way down the hallway until he ran into Taylor Adams who enveloped him in a hug, whispering sweet nothings in his ear. 

Jay instantly calmed down, his face in Tay's broad shoulder, and grateful that the captain coach was always there for him.


End file.
